Anchor Plate System for Reinforcing Masonry Walls That Are Perpendicular to Support Joists

ABSTRACT

A system and method of retroactively reinforcing an exterior wall of a building. An anchoring assembly is mounted into the void space between a first joist and a second joist inside the building. The anchoring assembly has a first element that mounts to the first joist and a second element that mounts to the second joist. The anchoring assembly has an adjustable length. In this manner, the anchoring assembly can be adjusted to properly fit the void space between the first joist and the second joist. An anchor plate is provided outside the building in the area of the wall that needs to be reinforced. A tensioning tether is provided that extends through the exterior wall and mechanically joins the anchoring assembly to the anchor plate. The tensioning tether can be selectively tightened, therein biasing the anchor plate outside the building toward the anchoring assembly inside the building.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/920,624 filed Jul. 3, 2020.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

In general, the present invention relates to anchor plates and the methodology used when installing anchor plates. More particularly, the present invention relates to the structure of the anchor plate, the structure of the anchor that retains the anchor plate, and the methodology of installing anchor plates and anchors in preexisting walls that are in need of reinforcement.

2. Prior Art Description

Many buildings contain masonry walls that are made of brick, block, or stone. The masonry may form the structure of a wall or may just be a façade in front of a traditional lumber wall. Regardless, due to a variety of reasons, such as ground settlement, load shifting, water damage and the like, masonry walls can develop warps and buckles over time. Once a warp or buckle begins, it tends to increase in severity over time until the wall loses its structural integrity.

Recognizing that warps occur in many masonry walls, anchor plates are often added to masonry walls. Variations in anchor plate reinforcement have been in use for hundreds of years. Anchor plates are metal plates that are bolted to the lumber framework of a building through a hole in the masonry wall. The anchor plate is an enlarged plate that presses against the exterior of the masonry wall, therein preventing the masonry wall from buckling outwardly. Since the anchor plate is visible on the exterior of the wall, the anchor plate is traditionally given a decorative shape, such as a star. As such, anchor plates are also commonly referred to as star plates.

Anchor plates are held in place by a tensioning tether. The tensioning tether can be a bolt, cable, or rod that extends through a hole in the masonry wall and engages the lumber framework of the building. Within the building, tensioning tethers are commonly anchored to multiple floor joists. This provides the anchor strength needed to resist the pulling force of a bowing wall. When anchoring a tether to a joist, the operation is fairly simple if the incoming tensioning tether is perpendicular to the floor joists. If the tether and floor joist are perpendicular, the tether can pass through a hole in the joist and be anchored with a washer and nut or similar anchor structure. If the tensioning tether enters a building at an orientation that is parallel to the joists, then anchoring is far more difficult. This is especially true if a tensioning tether enters a building parallel to a framing joist in a void between framing joists.

When a slight warp or buckle is noticed in a masonry wall, it is desirable to install an anchor plate in order to stop the warp or buckle from progressing further. However, to retroactively install an anchor plate, a hole must be drilled in the masonry at a position that is either perpendicular to the floor joists or aligned with one of the floor joists. This typically limits the possible positions for the anchor plates. Walls predominantly buckle most in the area between joists. Accordingly, there is a good chance that the anchor plate cannot be installed in the section of the wall where it would do the most good.

A need therefore exists for an improved anchor plate system that can be retroactively added to masonry walls that enables masonry walls to be supported at positions that do not necessarily align with floor joists. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system and method of retroactively reinforcing an exterior wall of a building having floor joists. In accordance with the present invention, an anchoring assembly is provided that is mounted into the void space between a first joist and a second joist inside the building. The anchoring assembly has a first element that mounts to the first joist and a second element that mounts to the second joist. The anchoring assembly has an adjustable length. In this manner, the anchoring assembly can be adjusted to properly fit the void space between the first joist and the second joist.

An anchor plate is provided outside the building. The anchor plate is placed against the exterior wall in the area of the wall that needs to be reinforced.

A tensioning tether is provided that extends through the exterior wall and mechanically joins the anchoring assembly to the anchor plate. The tensioning tether can be selectively tightened, therein biasing the anchor plate outside the building toward the anchoring assembly inside the building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmented view of a wall in a building in which an exemplary embodiment of the reinforcement system is installed with joists that are perpendicular to the exterior wall;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the reinforcement system utilized in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a wall in a building in which the exemplary embodiment of the reinforcement system is installed; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of a wall in a building in which an alternate embodiment of the reinforcement system is installed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the present invention reinforcement system can be embodied in many ways, only two exemplary embodiments are illustrated. The exemplary embodiments are shown for the purposes of explanation and description. The exemplary embodiments are selected in order to set forth some of the best modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely exemplary and should not be considered limitations when interpreting the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an improved reinforcement system 10 is shown. The reinforcement system 10 includes an anchor plate 12, a tensioning tether 14, and anchoring assembly 16. As will be explained, the tensioning tether 14 and the anchoring assembly 16 are retroactively mounted within a building 20. The anchor plate 12 is attached to the tensioning tether 14 and is biased against an exterior wall 18 by the tensioning tether 14. This reinforces the exterior wall 18.

The anchor plate 12 has a plurality of arms 22 that radially extend from a central hub 24. In the shown embodiment, the anchor plate 12 is star-shaped having eight arms 22. However, it should be understood that other shapes such as cross shapes and varying polygonal stars can also be used. The anchor plate 12 has a face surface 26 and an opposite contact surface 28. In use, the contact surface 28 will abut against the exterior wall 18. The anchor plate 12 can be made of a variety of materials, but is preferably made of stainless steel, galvanized steel, bronze, or some other high strength metal alloy that is resistant to rust and is capable of being exposed to the elements for decades.

The anchor plate 12 can be flat but is preferably slightly curved. The contact surface 28 of the anchor plate 12 is preferably slightly concave. In this manner, when biased against the exterior wall 18, the anchor plate 12 will deform and flatten to create a spring bias against the exterior wall 18. This spring bias will help keep the anchor plate 12 in contact with the wall 18 as the building 20 expands and contracts with changes in temperature, pressure, and humidity.

A mounting hole 30 is formed in the geometric center of the anchor plate 12. This is a central connection point. The mounting hole 30 is used to interconnect the tensioning tether 14 to the anchor plate 12.

The tensioning tether 14 can be a helical masonry tie, steel bolt, rod, chain, or cable. The tensioning tether 14 has a first end 32, a second end 34 and a length between the ends 32, 34. The first end 32 of the tensioning tether 14 is configured to attach to the anchor plate 12 through the mounting hole 30 in the central hub 24 of the anchor plate 12. In the shown embodiment, the first end 32 of the tensioning tether 14 is threaded and is attached to the anchor plate 12 using a threaded nut 35. Alternatively, it will be understood that the tensioning tether 14 can be terminated with a bolt head, therein eliminating the need for the threaded nut 35.

The second end 34 of the tensioning tether 14 is inserted into the structure of the building 20 through the exterior wall 18. The length of the tensioning tether 14 depends upon the features of the exterior wall 18 and the lumber framework within the building 20. In the shown embodiment, the framework within the building includes joists 36. The joists 36 are oriented at a perpendicular to the exterior wall 18. The joists 36 are typically spaced either 16 inches or 24 inches apart. Accordingly, there are void spaces 38 between the joists 36. The anchoring assemblies 16 are set into the void spaces 38 between the joists.

The anchoring assembly 16 consists of a first bracket 40 and a second bracket 42 that overlap. The first bracket 40 has a first end 44 and an opposite second end 46. There is a bend 48 in the first bracket 40 proximate the first end 44. A flat mounting section 50 exists between the first end 44 and the bend 48. Holes 52 are formed in the flat mounting section 50. The holes 52 enable the flat mounting section 50 to be anchored to a first joist 36A using a mechanical connector 54, such as a screw, bolt, or nail. The first bracket 40 also has a spring section 56 that extends from the bend 48 to the second end 46. The spring section 56 is curved and is made from spring steel. This provides the spring section 56 with the functional characteristics of a curved leaf spring. The spring section 56 has a first radius of curvature R1. A first adjustment slot 58 is formed in the spring section 56. A slide clip 60 is provided along the spring section 56 proximate the second end 46.

The second bracket 42 is a mirror image of the first bracket 40. The second bracket 42 has a first end 62 and an opposite second end 64. There is a bend 66 in the second bracket 42 proximate the first end 62. A flat mounting section 68 exists between the first end 62 and the bend 66. Holes 70 are formed in the flat mounting section 68. The holes 70 enable the flat mounting section 68 to be anchored to a second joist 36B using a mechanical connector 72. The second bracket 42 also has a spring section 74 that extends from the bend 66 to the second end 64. The spring section 74 shares the same radius of curvature as does the spring section 56 of the first bracket 40. A second adjustment slot 76 is formed in the spring section 74. A slide clip 78 is provided along the spring section 74 proximate the second end 64.

The spring section 74 of the second bracket 42 overlaps the spring section 56 of the first bracket 40. The spring section 74 of the second bracket 42 is engaged by the slide clip 60 of the first bracket 40. Likewise, the spring section 56 of the first bracket 40 is engaged by the slide clip 78 of the second bracket 42. This mechanically interconnects the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42, while simultaneously enabling the curved spring section 56 of the first bracket 40 to slide along the curved spring section 74 of the second bracket 42. Accordingly, the distance between the flat mounting section 50 of the first bracket 40 and the flat mounting section 68 of the second bracket 42 can be selectively adjusted through a range. The preferred range is between 14.5 inches and 26 inches to accommodate the typical spacing between joists in a building. A locking nut and bolt set 80 is provided that extends through the adjustment slots 58, 76 of both the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42. When tightened, the locking nut and bolt set 80 locks the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 into fixed positions relative to each other.

Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it will be understood that to install the reinforcement system 10, an access hole 82 is made in the exterior wall 18 to accommodate the tensioning tether 14. If the tensioning tether 14 is a rod, bolt or cable, the access hole 82 is drilled through the exterior wall 18. If the tensioning tether 14 is a helical tie or helical rod, the tensioning tether 14 can be directly driven through the exterior wall 18. Once installed, the tensioning tether 14 has its first end 32 outside the building 20 and its second end 34 in the void space 38 between the joists 36.

The first end 32 of the tensioning tether 14 is accessible on the outside of the exterior wall 18. The first end 32 of the tensioning tether 14 is advanced through the anchor plate 12. The tensioning tether 14 is terminated or otherwise prevented from being pulled through the mounting hole 30 in the center of the anchor plate 12. The second end 34 of the tensioning tether is disposed in the void space 38 between the joists 36. The first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 are interconnected by overlapping the brackets 40, 42 and having each bracket 40, 42 being engaged by the slide clip 60, 78 of the other. In this interconnected position, the adjustment slots 58, 76 of the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 respectively align. The locket nut and bolt set 80 is loosened to enable the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 to slide along one another. This enables the distance between the flat mounting section 50 of the first bracket 40 and the flat mounting section 68 of the second bracket 42 to be adjusted to match the width of the void space 38. The flat mounting section 50 of the first bracket 40 is anchored to a first joist 36A. The flat mounting section 68 of the second bracket 42 is mounted to the second joist 36B. The first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 are oriented so that the concave shape of the anchoring assembly 16 faces the exterior wall 18. Once the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 42 are mounted in place, the locking nut and bolt set 80 is tightened to prevent any additional relative sliding movement.

The tensioning tether 14 is advanced through the adjustment slots 58, 76 of both the first and second brackets 40, 42, respectively. A nut and washer set 84 are then used to tighten the tensioning tether 14 against the brackets 40, 42. As the tensioning tether 14 tightens, the anchor plate 12 is biased against the exterior wall 18. The tensioning tether 14 is tightened until it deforms at least some of the curvature out of both the anchor plate 12 and the anchoring assembly 16. Any excess tensioning tether 14 that extends beyond the anchor plate 12 or the anchoring assembly 16 can be trimmed.

Since the brackets 40, 42 in the anchoring assembly 16 are curved, the anchoring assembly 16 is capable of some spring deformation. This enables the anchoring assembly 16 to maintain a consistent tension in the tensioning tether 14 as the building 20 expands and contracts with changes in temperature and weather.

Referring to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the reinforcement system 100 is shown. In this embodiment, the anchor plate 12 and the tensioning tether 14 are the same as has been previously described. As such, the same reference numbers are used. The difference in the second embodiment is the structure of the anchoring assembly 102. In this embodiment, the anchoring assembly 102 is a telescoping bar 104 that has a first bar element 106 that passes into a second bar element 108. In this manner, the overall length of the telescoping bar 104 can be selectively adjusted. A locking bolt 110 can be used to set the telescoping bar 104 into a selected length.

The first bar element 106 and the second bar element 108 are slotted. The slots align as the first bar element 106 moves into the second bar element 108. The first bar element 106 and the second bar element 108 terminate with flat plates 112, 114. The flat plates 112, 114 can be attached to joists 36 with mechanical fasteners 116.

The first bar element 106 and the second bar element 108 are mounted between joists 36. The tensioning tether 14 is then advanced through the slots in the first bar element 106 and the second bar element 108. A nut and washer set 118 is then used to tension the tensioning tether 14. As the tensioning tether 14 tightens, the anchor plate 12 is biased against the exterior wall 18. The tensioning tether 14 is tightened until it deforms at least some of the curvature out of the anchor plate 12.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention that are illustrated and described are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to those embodiments. For instance, the size, thickness and length of the anchor plates and tensioning tethers can be varied to meet the needs and aesthetics of a particular building. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for retroactively reinforcing an exterior wall of a building at a point between a first joist and a second joist, said system comprising: an anchoring assembly having a first element that mounts to said first joist and a second element that mounts to said second joist inside said building, wherein said first element and said second element have slots that align; an anchor plate contacting said exterior wall outside of said building; a tensioning tether that extends through said slots and mechanically joins said anchoring assembly to said anchor plate.
 2. The system according to claim 1, further including at least one nut that threads along said tensioning tether, wherein said at least one nut can be selectively tightened to apply tension to said tensioning tether, therein biasing said anchor plate toward said anchoring assembly.
 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said anchor plate has a mounting hole and said tensioning tether extends through said mounting hole.
 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said anchor plate has a curvature and said tensioning tether biases said anchor plate against said exterior wall with enough force to at least partially flatten said anchor plate.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first element of said anchoring assembly telescopes into said second element of said anchoring assembly.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first element of said anchoring assembly abuts and overlaps said second element of said anchoring assembly.
 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first element and said second element have curved sections that abut and overlap.
 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first element has a mounting plate that mounts against said first joist.
 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second element has a mounting plate that mounts against said second joist.
 10. A system for retroactively reinforcing an exterior wall of a building at a point between a first floor joist and a second floor joist, said system comprising: an anchoring assembly anchored to both said first joist and said second joist within said building, said anchoring assembly having a length between a first end and an opposite second end, wherein said length is selectively adjustable within a range of lengths; an anchor plate contacting said exterior wall outside of said building; a tensioning tether that extends between said anchoring assembly and said anchor plate, wherein said tensioning tether can be selectively tensioned to bias said anchor plate toward said anchoring assembly.
 11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said anchoring assembly includes a first element and a second element that can be adjusted relative to each other to selectively adjust said length of said anchoring assembly.
 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said tensioning tether extends through both said first element and said second element.
 13. The system according to claim 10, wherein said anchor plate has a mounting hole and said tensioning tether extends through said mounting hole.
 14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first element of said anchoring assembly telescopes into said second element of said anchoring assembly.
 15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first element of said anchoring assembly abuts and overlaps said second element of said anchoring assembly.
 16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first element and said second element have curved sections that abut and overlap.
 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said curved sections create a concave shape that faces said exterior wall.
 18. A method of retroactively reinforcing an exterior wall of a building from within a void space in between a first joist and a second joist within said building, said method comprising the steps of: providing an anchor assembly; anchoring said anchor assembly to said first joist and said second joist, therein positioning said anchor assembly in said void space; providing an anchor plate; positioning said anchor plate against said exterior wall outside said building; attaching said anchor plate to said anchor assembly with a tensioning tether that extends through said exterior wall; and tensioning said tensioning tether to bias said anchor plate against said anchor assembly.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said anchor assembly has an adjustable length and said method includes adjusting said length to fit said anchor assembly into said void space between said first joist and said second joist. 